


and i shall love because of you

by rolandtowen



Series: The Dragon and The Wolf [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Betrothal Necklace (Avatar), Boys In Love, Engagement, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hair Braiding, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury Recovery, M/M, Worldbuilding, except a different imagining of it, incredibly minor but hey that's zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29619789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rolandtowen/pseuds/rolandtowen
Summary: Sokka and Zuko propose to each other. That's it, that's the fic.Rated T because I'm sure I slipped a swear word in there somewhere.TW: minorly implied child abuse, a sarcastic comment about pulling one's eyeballs out, I think that's it??
Relationships: Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Dragon and The Wolf [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115390
Comments: 16
Kudos: 129





	and i shall love because of you

Sokka wears three braids in his hair. One for every battle he's fought in.

The Battle for the North Pole

The Day of Black Sun

The Battle of Sozin's Comet

He doesn’t really count the battle in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se—he and Toph weren’t really fighting as much as finding Appa and getting the heck out of there. He wears two beads on them, one from Kanna and one from Katara. Whenever he feels homesick, Sokka takes comfort in running his fingers over the beads, the cool surface reminding him of the ice in the South Pole. During even the worst council meetings, the beads ground him.

Every morning, Zuko helps him with his braids. Sokka's shoulder has improved to the point he could braid his hair on his own, but they keep their morning ritual together. Zuko's deft hands separate Sokka's strands of hair, weaving in the two light blue beads against the dark locks.

This morning, when Zuko claps his hands to Sokka's shoulders as a way of saying, all done here, Sokka looks in the mirror and sees something... new. Something glints in his wolf tail. Sokka tilts his head forward to get a better look. "Zuko...?"

Zuko stammers. "If it's against your tradition, I can take it back, but I thought—this is the closest thing the Fire Nation to a betrothal necklace."

Shimmering against Sokka's dark hair is a golden headpiece, like the one Zuko wears, but instead of shaped like a flame, this one is shaped like a crescent moon. Sokka's eyes well up with tears. "Oh, Zuko." Sokka turns to face the Fire Lord, to cradle his scared face, to kiss the love of his life. "It's perfect."

"Is...is that a yes?" Zuko looks at Sokka like Agni will smite him if he looks away. "You'll marry me?"

Sokka laughs. "Yes, _yes_ , I'd be a fool not to marry you. Spirits, Zuko, where have you been these past few years? I've always intended to marry you, my dear." Sokka reverently touches the headpiece. "Where did you find this?"

Zuko's face turns sheepish. "I asked Master Piandao to help me forge it. And I know how important the Moon Spirit is to the Water Tribe, and to you especially. Uncle told me her name is Yue—last night I prayed for her blessing."

Sokka drinks this moment in. Zuko, asking Yue for her blessing; crafting a new royal headpiece that fuses both Fire and Water traditions; and forging it with the man who trained them both as swordsmen. "You amaze me."

Zuko smiles softly.




When the pair tell Hakoda, Iroh, and Kanna at breakfast, they're met with a warm welcome. Hakoda grasps Zuko's arm in a traditional Water Tribe greeting, Iroh claps Sokka on the shoulder, and Kanna crushed them all in a hug.

Sokka pulls Hakoda aside. “Will you teach me how to make a betrothal necklace? Zuko’s given me something from his culture, I want to give him something from ours.”

Hakoda ponders this. “The necklace has always been a more of a Northern tradition—I can teach you how to make one, but if you want something Southern, we can carve him some warrior beads.”

“Like mine? He can wear them?”

“Of course, he’s a warrior isn’t he? And he’s already an honorary member of the tribe. Gifting him warrior beads would solidify his status as a tribal member and your partner.”

Sokka hugs Hakoda. “You’re a genius.”

Hakoda chuckles. “It should be easy enough to find some turquoise in the markets. Can you grab Iroh and Kanna and meet me on the balcony in say, an hour?”




It’s easy enough to ditch Zuko, who is busy filling out betrothal paperwork with one of the royal secretaries. Who knew the Fire Nation loved paperwork? Sokka kisses him on the cheek before finding Iroh and Kanna drinking tea in one of the many gardens.

“How would you like to help me with something for Zuko?” Both of them nod and follow Sokka immediately to the balcony outside Hakoda’s guest room. The Chief was already seated, a lump of unfinished turquoise and several blades on the floor in front of him. Kanna understands immediately and takes her seat next to her son; Sokka, who has been the recipient of beads but never been in a bead ceremony, is more unsure of what to do but sits by his grandmother; and Iroh has no idea what’s unfolding in front of him but takes his cues from Kanna and sits as well.

Hakoda clears his throat. “Iroh, thank you for coming. I think I should explain what’s happening before we get started. In the Southern Water Tribe, it is traditional for a young man to have beads carved for him by loved ones that he then wears in his hair. That way, even if he’s away fighting, his family is still close to him. Much like in the Fire Nation, hair is sacred in the Water Tribes—Sokka and I agreed that crafting warrior beads for Zuko would be the most appropriate way to mark their engagement in Water Tribe tradition. Sokka is acknowledging Zuko as his family by carving him a bead, and Zuko will be acknowledging Sokka as his family by wearing it. I think that makes sense?”

Iroh nods. “That is a beautiful tradition, Hakoda. I am honored to be taking part in a custom from your nation.”

Kanna and Hakoda watch over Sokka and Iroh as they carve their own beads from the turquoise. Iroh is much better at it than Sokka—probably because his hands are not shaking from nerves like Sokka’s are—but they nevertheless produce two fine looking beads before the sun goes down. Iroh carves the insignia of a dragon into his, while Sokka thinks on what his should be. Not the moon, not a wave—something very specific to Sokka. He settles on the figure of a wolf, the patron of the Southern Water Tribe warriors.

Hakoda smiles fondly as Iroh and Sokka present their finished works to him. “These are very fine warrior beads.”

“I am certain Zuko will be honored to wear them,” Iroh replies, placing a hand on Sokka’s shoulder. “And I think you should do the honors of giving them to him.”

“You guys don’t want to be there?” Sokka looks around at his elders.

Kanna laughs. “We’ll see them at dinner soon enough. Go! Find your man and propose back to him. We already know he’ll say yes.”




Zuko is where Sokka left him, sitting at his desk and glaring at paperwork. Thankfully, it’s no longer betrothal paperwork he’s resisting the urge to set on fire. He’s now moved on to complicated designs for the Ba Sing Se reconstruction project and he wants to pull out his hair. Iku’s left him a tray of sweets that have mostly gone untouched.

“Can I help?” Sokka’s voice comes from the doorway into his library.

“Can you pluck out my eyeballs?” Is Zuko’s sarcastic response.

Sokka scoffs. “No, I will not be doing that.” He moves to crouch at Zuko’s side. “But, I can give you something else.”

Zuko looks at him, bewildered. Sokka opens his palm to reveal the two blue beads.

“This is the best way that I, as a Southern Water Tribe warrior, can accept your proposal.” Sokka gestures to his own beads. “These beads are given to warriors by their loved ones. If you wear a bead I carved, you’ll become my family and I will become yours.”

Zuko gapes. “Are you sure that you want to give me this?”

Sokka brings Zuko’s right hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “Absolutely.” He whispers against Zuko’s hand. “I just agreed to marry you, didn’t I?”

Zuko shivers. “Okay, how do I wear them?”

Sokka stands and combs his fingers through Zuko’s shoulder length hair. “Like mine, you can wear them in braids apart from the rest of your hair. Each braid represents a battle you’ve fought in.” Zuko stiffens. “My dear, what’s wrong?”

“Every battle I’ve ever fought in, I’ve fought _against_ you. How can I partake in your culture when I once tried so hard to destroy it?”

Sokka places a hand at Zuko’s chin, tilting his head so he meets Sokka’s gaze. “When you first braided my hair in the South Pole, I only asked you for two braids. I was still _so ashamed_ of my failure on the Day of Black Sun that I didn’t want to wear a braid for it. But my Dad noticed. He sat me down and explained that these braids don’t show sides or success—they show _survival._ You fought and you lived. _That’s_ what matters. Now will you let me braid your hair, betrothed?”

Zuko nods. Sokka releases his hand from his chin and gets to work. “I made one bead, Iroh made the other.” He smiles. “Like this headpiece you gave me, wearing these beads is a fusion of our families and heritages.”

Zuko hums. Sokka braids.

Peace falls over the Royal Palace.




Zuko wears three braids in his hair. One for every battle he’s lived through.

The Battle for the North Pole

The Battle in Ba Sing Se

The Battle of Sozin’s Comet

He doesn’t count his Agni Kais. He already carries a mark to remember those by. He proudly wears a bead from his Uncle and from Sokka, tying himself both to his home nation and the nation of his fiancé. Whenever he feels like a failure, Zuko closes his hand around the beads and feels the insignia of both the dragon and wolf under his palm, watching over him.

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from a set of vows that I saw attributed to Inuit culture on a few websites. If these vows are completely made up, please let me know and I will change the title. 
> 
> "You are my husband  
> My feet shall run because of you  
> My feet shall dance because of you  
> My heart shall beat because of you  
> My eyes see because of you  
> My mind thinks because of you  
> And I shall love because of you."
> 
> The beads are inspired by the beads Hakoda is seen wearing in the show and wampum beads used by Indigenous Americans to mark treaties, weddings, or other historical events.  
> If you want to learn more about the culture and dress of different Indigenous peoples, I found this virtual collection from the National Museum of the American Indian to be stunning as well as helpful: https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnations/index.html
> 
> As always, feel free to point out any typos, cultural insensitivity, or make requests in the comments! You are all incredible - go drink some water and kick some ass!


End file.
